Type-writer.



J. J. COHEN.

TYPE WRIT ER. APPLICATION FILED MA! 26; I916.

1,22%,ML Pa tanted May 1, 1917.

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4% z IO 0 ai wanfoz JOSEPH J. COHEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITER.

"pecification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Application filed May 26. 1916. Serial No. 99,991.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

lie it known that l. lo t-1m: .l. Comm. residing at New York. in the county of New York and State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful lmprovements in Type-VVriters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a typewriter and particularly to means for improving and quickening the action of the type keys when striking the platen. and further to means for protecting the platen against the effects of the repeamd blows from the type keys, and further to means for deadening or subduing the noise incident to the striking of the type keys against the platen.

A more detailed object is to provide a member which may be positioned along the striking face of the platen to receive the blows from the. type keys. said member being resilient so as to tend to cause the type keys to rebound more quickly. the resilieney serving also to deaden the sound of impact, and serving to protect the platen.

A further object is to provide an article of manufacture which may be manufactured and sold at a small price. said article being adapted to be readily attached in position in front of the striking face of the platen and being readily replaceable by a new one after being worn.

By the use of this invention it will become unnecessary to employ the expensive rubber platens now in use. Platens made of metal or wood. or other suitable cheap and durable material may be employed.

Other objects and aims of the invention. more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in partpointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations. arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in'thc appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a. part of this specification. and in whichl have shown a merely preferrecl form of embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a front view 0|: a typewriter platen, the View illustrating sufficient of the adjacent typewriter structure to show the manner 1n which this invention is apl ig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken upon the plane of line IT-II of Fig. 1 and Fig. l is a view of the article forming the basis of this invention.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the structure shown therein. the reference character L indicates the typewriter platen, and G that portion of the typewriter frame upon which the platen is mounted and with which it is movable relatively to the remainder of the typewriter frame.

The platen is provided with the usual extensions 1. which are rotatably mounted in the frame. G. the usual thumb wheels 2 being connected to said extensions.

The reference character ll indicates the device forming the basis of this invention.

This device is preferably made up as a length of sheet rubber or rubber composition. Suitable reinforcing pieces 3 are attached at the opposite ends and these. are apertured. as at 4. to provide attaching means for connecting the article to the frame (1 of the platen. Suitable hooks 5 are provided in the frame (t for engaging within the openings l. \Vhen the article is engaged over these hooks its intermediate portion will lie flat against. the face of the platen so that the article will constitute what may be termed a striking-strip for receiving the blows from the typewriter keys.

Tn Fig. 3 a typewriter key (3 is shown in position about to strike. 'lhe refm'ence numeral 7 illustrates the guides usually employed for guiding the type keys to accurate striking position. The article of this invention. hereinafter termed the strikingstrip. extends beyond these guides and lies flat against the platen. The reference numeral 8 indicates a guide, usually found on typewriters at the lower side of the platen for guiding the paper S) around the platen. The reference numeral 10 indicates a guide usually found at the front of the platen for guiding the paper upwardly and backwardly. as shown. As the paper moves past the guide 8 the forward edge of the paper will be directed free of the lower edge of the striking strip H and will slide along the lower edge of the guide 10 and upwardly across the outer face of the striking strip.

The platen may be rotated in the usual manner for advancing the paper, such rota tion not affecting the position of the striking-strip. The striking-strip will remain stationary with the platen carriage and the platen will simply r tate behind it.

It is to be particularly noted that no direct pressure is present'for forcing the striking-strip against the platen, and that due to this fact a very slight air space or cushion is necessarily present between the striking-strip and the platen, although the striking-strip is under slight tension lengthwise. Thisis of considerable importance as tending to deaden the noise of impact from the type keys. When a key strikes the paper it does not force the paper against the platen with a sharp twang as in an ordinary typewriter structure. The paper is first driven against the soft yielding material of the striking-strip and the striking-strip is in turn driven against the platen. The striking-strip will produce no sound in being pressed against the platen. The impact of the type key against the resil ent strikingstrip will produce a reaction which Will cause the type key to bound away more quickly than heretofore. A greater possible speed of action may thus be obtained from the same typewriter.

It is, of course, not intended to limit this invention to the specific kind of attaching means illustrated for connecting the striking-strip with the platen frame. The kind illustrated is simply exemplary. Any attaching means which ,will permit of the convenient attachment and removal of the striking-strip will suffice. The kind illustrated, however, provides for a slight adjustment in the tension of the striking-strip. When a striking-strip is being first attached it may be connected by means of the end pairs of openings as shown in Fig. 1. 7 After it has been used, however, for a little time, it may be slightly stretched and engaged first by one of the inner sets of openings, at One end, and later by the other set of inner openings, at the opposite end. Additional sets of openings, or other means of adjustment might be provided, if desired.

wearer Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with'a typewriter having keys and a platen, of a strikingstrip, comprising a piece of stretchable material, means for retaining the striking-strip in position adjacent the platen slightly stretched to receive the blows from the typewriter keys, and means whereby the degree of stretch in the striking-strip is adjustable.

2. A device for enabling the use of a relatively hard surface platen in typewriters, said device comprising a strip of relatively soft material disposed flat upon the face of the relatively hard platen and in close con-.

tact with said face in position to receive the typewriting paper thereover and in position to receive the blows from the typewriter keys impressed upon the paper and being longitudinally bodily movable with the platen, whereby a proper soft surface is provided beneath the paper to insure correct impression from the type keys notwithstanding the presence of the hard surface of the platen.

3. In a device of class described, the combination in a typewriter comprising the usual swinging type keys a rotary cylindrical platen and frame parts at the opposite ends of said platen, of a strip of stretchable resilient material arranged longitudinally of the platen being stretched and having its opposite ends connected to said frame parts at points substantially in the plane of the surface of said platen so that the intermediate stretched portion of said strip is caused to lie close and flat against the surface of the platen in a position so that the typewriting paper encircling the platen will pass thereover and so as to receive the blows from the typewriter keys, all whereby hard surfaced platens may be employed.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J. COHEN. lVitnesses:

EMMA l/Vnrnnnne, LOUIS BRANDW'EIN. 

